Ultraviolet electrotherapeutic device



May 2, 1950 N. CLARK 2,505,944

ULTRAVIOLET ELECTROTHERAPEUTIC DEVICE Filed Jan. 7, 1947 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented May 2, 1950 OFFICE ULTRAVIOLET ELECTROTHERAPEUTIC DEVICE Norris Lee Clark, Burbank, Calif.

Application January '7, 1947, Serial No. 720,528

1 Claim.

This invention relates generally to an electrotherapeutic device including a current-limiting transformer, the secondary of which is adapted to supply electrical energy to a load which varies from a very high impedance to a very low impedance, and to virtually limit the secondary current to a preselected maximum virtually irrespective of said secondary load impedance change.

This invention relates more specifically to a current-limiting transformer of light and compact design adapted to be mounted in and wholly enclosed by the dielectric handle of the electrotherapeutic device of my invention so that the high tension supply connections to said device are made within said handle.

At the present time, gaseous discharge tubes and lamps adapted to operate on alternating current, generally are supplied with power through a three legged leakage gap, reactance transformer, the primary of which is connected to the usual 110 volt alternating current electrical power available in most areas, the secondary of said transformer being connected to the electrodes of the gaseous discharge device. The purpose of the leakage gap, reactance transformer is to effectively limit the maximum current which may flow through the gaseous discharge device. This is necessary because of the fact that in an electric are or glow discharge through a gas or vapor, the efiective impedance falls rapidly subsequent to the initiation of the discharge. Thus, if no means is provided for limiting the current through the are or glow discharge-the current rises abruptly to a very large value, thus overheating the gaseous discharge device or tube and the transformer, and damaging both. It is essential to limit the secondary current which flows through the arc or glow discharge to a preselected, safe, maximum value. A leakage gap, reactance transformer of the above mentioned type has numerous disadvantages, however. Among them is the fact that it is very bulky and subject to very large eddy currents, which results in transformer core heating to an undesirable degree.

The transformer of this invention is primarily adapted and intended for use in supplying electrical energy to a small, thin, quartz tube containing mercury vapor at a reduced pressure adapted to generate ultraviolet light. This type of mercury vapor tube is intended for therapeutic use, the tube being adapted to be inserted into various orifices in the human body for exposing selected spots to the action of ultraviolet radiation. For example, such a unit may be advantageously used in treating throat, rectal, dental, and many other types of ailments.

Since, in such an orificial, ultraviolet lamp, the physician, dentist, or other operator, must be able to manually move the tube around for inserting same into and removing same from various body orifices and the like, the tube may not be attached to a large, fixed mounting in the manner that various other types of ultraviolet lamps intended for irradiating external portions of the body are mounted. If a leakage gap, reactance transformer of the type hereinbefore mentioned is used for limiting the current flow through the ultraviolet generating quartz tube, the large size of the transformer makes it necessary to mount same in a suitable base and to connest the secondary thereof through suitable flexible, high tension leads to the movable mounting handle of the orificial mercury vapor tube. This is quite undesirable and long high tension leads are hazardous.

The transformer of my invention is adapted to supply electrical energy to such an orificial mercury-vapor containing ultraviolet generating, quartz tube and to be contained within the handle in which the tube is mounted. The only electrical leads extending from the handle may then be the usual electrical leads adapted to carry the volt, electrical power commercially available in most regions. Thus no high tension leads are necessary. This desirable result is made possible by reason of the exceedingly small size and light weight of the highly efiicient secondary current controlling or limiting transformer of my invention which may thus be mounted in a small handle of the orificial unit mounting a mercury vapor tube.

Furthermore, the transformer of my invention has much smaller eddy currents than a leakage gap, reactance transformer of the type hereinbefore mentioned and therefore the core is not heated to an undesirable degree and may be enclosed in the small handle space of the orificial unit without electrical or fire hazard.

Generally speaking, my invention comprises a current-limiting transformer including a primary and a secondary adapted to supply electrical energy to an electrical discharge and including a high reluctance magnetic core. The primary and seconrary are mounted in inductive relation to said high reluctance magnetic core. The high reluctance magnetic circuit is adapted to cause the effective limiting of the secondary current irrespective of secondary load impedance.

With the above points in mind, it is an object of this invention to provide a small, compact transformer adapted to limit and supply electrical current to a .gaseous electrical discharge.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a small, compact transformer adapted to virtually limit a secondary current to a preselected maximum and to minimize transformer core, eddy current, heat losses.

Other and allied objects will become apparent to those skilled in the art from a careful examination of the illustrations, specification and appended claims. In order to facilitate understanding, reference will be had to the following drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a schematic perspective view of one specific embodiment of this invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one type of an orificial quartz lamp mounted in a suitably hollow handle containing the transformer of this invention.

More specifically, referring to Fig. 1, a ferromagnetic transformer core member, indicated generally at I, is provided with a main coil mounting leg 2, an upper transverse member 3, which is virtually perpendicular to the coil mounting leg 2, a leg 4 which is virtually perpendicular to the upper leg 3 and virtually parallel to the main coil mounting leg 2, and a lower transverse member which is virtually perpendicular to the legs 4 and 2 and virtually parallel to the upper transverse member 3. The main coil mounting leg 2, upper transverse member 3, leg 4, and lower transverse member 5 are all continuous.

Positioned between the left-hand end of the lower transverse member 5 and the right side of the lower end of the main coil mounting leg 2 is a very narrow air gap 6. The entire transformer core I is preferably, although not necessarily, made of laminated transformer steel construction. This is desirable since it further minimizes eddy current heat losses.

Mounted upon and around the lower portion of the main coil mounting member 2 is a suitable coil form 7. Mounted upon and around the coil form I is the primary coil 8 of the transformer, the ends of which are connected to input terminals 9 arranged to be connected to a suitable source of H0 volt alternating current. Mounted upon and around the upper portion of the main coil mounting member 2 is a coil form In carrying the transformer secondary coil II, the ends of which are connected to output terminals i2 which are arranged to supply electrical energy to the electrodes of the mercury vapor tube.

Referring to Fig. 2, the orificial quartz tube I3 is shown mounted in hollow handle I4 which also contains the transformer of my invention. The quartz tube I3 is filled with mercury vapor at a reduced pressure and is of the type which is longitudinally divided into two separate tubes or channels which are connected at their outer end. Thus it is not necessary that an electrode be positioned at the outer tip, since eletctrodes may be positioned at the base of each of the divided portions of the tube [3, thus formin a continuous passage from an electrode mounted within the handle l4, down one side of the divided quartz tube l3 to the tip 15 thereof, and thence back through the other side of the divided quartz tube l3 to another electrode within the handle [4. The transformer of this invention is mounted within the handle M with the secondary coil terminals l2 (shown in Fig. 1) supplying electrical energy to the electrodes of the quartz tube l3 of Fig. 2. The primary coil terminals 9 are connected to alternating current input lead I6 01. Fig. 2 through a switch ll mounted on the handle M, which is adapted to make or break the alternating current to the primary 9 0f the transformer. An automatic timer (not shown) may also be provided. The handle I4 is preferably made of a moulded dielectric, organic composition such as rubber, phenol-formaldehyde or the like.

Thus it can be seen that I have provided an easily manipulable ultraviolet irradiator including no high voltage connections or leads except those within the handle, and the operator is protected from contact with such dangerous leads by the dielectric material of which the handle is made.

Numerous modifications and variations of this idea are possible and are intended to be included and comprehended herein. For example, the gap in the magnetic circuit need not necessarily be an air gap, but may be any other desired material of suitable reluctivity or reluctance. The desired reluctance in the magnetic circuit may be arrived at by varying the dimensions or materials composing the magnetic circuit, thus varying the overall reluctance to the'desired point. The primary and secondary coils or windings of the transformer may take the autotransformer' form wherein the primary is part of the secondary.

The terms primary and secondary shall be understood to include a separate primary and secondary or a connected primary and secondary of the autotransforrner type.

The example illustrated and described herein is exemplary only and is not intended to limit the scope of this invention, which is to be interpreted in the light of the appended claim only.

I claim:

A manipulable device for ultraviolet irradiation therapy comprising: a molded handle of dielectric material; a step-up transformer wholly housed within said handle and including a ferromagnetic core having the shape of an elongated rectangle, a primary winding and a, secondary winding, said windings being disposed in adiacent relation on a longer leg of said core, said windings and core being in inductive relat on and said core including an air gap; a pair of low tension supply leads connected to saidprimary winding and adapted for connection to an external source of alternating current electric power; and a quartz tubecontaining mercury vapor and having one end mounted in the handle, said tube having an outside diameter adapted for therapeutic insertion into body orifices, and said tube being connected to the secondary winding by connections contained within the handle.

NORRIS LEE CLARK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,319,181 Sethman Oct. 21, 1919 1,505,085 Brigham Aug. 19, 1924 1,939,413 Robinson Dec. 12, 1933 1,963,961 Barclay June 26, 1934 2,003,527 Bacon June 4, 1935 2,123,709 Bristow July 12, 1938 2,168,173 Sabbah et al Aug. 1, 1939 2,197,215 Holslag Apr. 16, 1940 

